Development in rural entrepreneurship and future scope of research: a bibliometric analysis

Purpose Rural entrepreneurship has become a popular research topic in the last few years. Recent studies use a variety of qualitative, multivariate, and descriptive techniques. Several literature reviews and bibliometric studies have been conducted to present and analyze the current literature. These bibliometric studies have primarily concentrated on citation analysis, country analysis, journal analysis, and the identification of themes related to rural entrepreneurship. However, those findings offered no clear direction for future research in this field and were ambiguous about the topics on which future research could be conducted. This study attempts a bibliometric study and presents potential scope. Methodology The Scopus database was used to locate relevant articles published in scientific journals. This study includes 220 articles published between 2002 and 2022. Bibliometric was carried out using biblioshiny of the R software. The study was focused on performance analysis, scientific mapping, and network approach. Thematic analysis was used to determine the significant research themes and major rural entrepreneurship clusters for future research. Findings The results of this study focused on displaying most pertinent authors, articles, and titles in the field of rural entrepreneurship. The thematic analysis results showed the key areas falling in four different quadrants, i.e., niche, motor, emerging/declining, and basic themes. Implications for theory and practice This study will help in capturing the present research areas as well as the prospective research paths for researchers and practitioners interested in the topic of rural entrepreneurship. It also includes comparative study between other nations and industries, multidisciplinary approaches, research gaps, emerging trends, and policy implications. Originality and value This study examines the evolution of rural entrepreneurship and their mainstream research fields and frontiers in the twenty-first century. The results of this study may be considered unique in identifying current trends in rural entrepreneurship research and recommending a directive for future researchers.